


Tough Life

by milkymeats



Series: Tough [2]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Developing Friendships, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Racism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-02-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 21:49:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22592809
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/milkymeats/pseuds/milkymeats
Summary: Marinette throughout her life, learning as she grows.
Series: Tough [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1625605
Kudos: 37





	Tough Life

**Author's Note:**

> gettin these out quick lol

Marinette is six when she learns that some people don't like her.

During recess, she notices a group of kids laughing at her, saying something in an accent that sounds like fake-Chinese.

_"_ _You're_ _saying_ _it_ _wrong,"_ she wants to say, but when they laugh at her confused look and trod off giddily, she realizes they were doing it on purpose.

As she sits in her little chalk square, sulking by herself, she doesn't notice the teacher staring pitifully at her before walking away.

~~~~~~~~~

Marinette is ten when she realizes that the only one who should be responsible for her problems is herself.

When a boy almost twice her size bumps into her, knocking her down and bringing tears to her eyes, he laughs and taunts jeeringly, "What, you gonna cry to your mama?"

The other kids around him sneer and snicker at her, chanting over and over, "Mama's girl! Mama's girl!"

The bell rings, the kids walk away, still laughing, still taunting, and Marinette sits on the floor, face wet with tears, hands dirty and pride broken.

Distantly, she hears the boy mutter under his breath, "Chinese freak," and her heart breaks even more.

~~~~~~~~~

Marinette is fourteen when she starts to trust again.

Her first year of collége in a class with unfamiliar faces and a whole flood of possible let-downs.

She refuses to get her hopes up.

But when Rose and Juleka come up to her one day, asking if she could design a logo for their band Kitty Section, she hesitates. Unsure if they actually want her to do it, or if they're gonna laugh at her acceptance, or if they take the design and make fun of her for it later.

She hesitates, and Rose sees this. The blonde steps a bit closer, a soft smile on her face, "You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable."

She accepts.

When she gets a thank you basket from Kitty Section a few days later, full of expensive, colorful yarn that she's only dreamed of having, she nearly cries.

~~~~~~~~~

Marinette is sixteen when she finds out that there are people who genuinely care about her.

She shows up to school one day, bright smiles and happy greetings. Her friends (her _friends_ _,_ she can say that now) greet her back. A few ask if she slept okay, noticing the bags under her eyes, and she brushes them off, stating that she just got to sleep late after working for eight hours straight on an outfit she designed.

This only makes them worry even more, so she says she'll get to sleep early today to settle them.

Thirty minutes into class, a loud, resounding _thump_ is heard, followed by snores that sound an awful lot like a wheezing cat.

Mlle. Bustier smiles, putting a finger to lips as the class giggles fondly.

They keep quiet to let their everyday Ladybug get her rest.

~~~

At lunch, Marinette realizes too late that she'd forgot to pack herself something due to hastily rushing out the door to get to school a little earlier.

She pouts resolutely, putting her head on the table, when movement next to her catches her attention.

Alya, smiling down at her, so softly, so gently, is holding a tray of food that she sets down right in front of her. Marinette stares at it for a while, before looking back to Alya, who gives her a friendly nudge and gestures back to the tray.

Marinette nearly cries while she eats, her head resting on the brunettes' warm shoulder contentedly.

~~~

Adrien approaches her at the end of the day, asking if she feels a bit better now.

She smiles and waves him off, of course she feels fine, nothing had been wrong in the first place.

The model gives her a gentle smile, before pulling her into the warmest hug she's ever had (save for her parents' hugs).

If she cries into his arms while they embrace, tears soaking through his shirt, her face more red than its' ever been, he doesn't say anything.

~~~~~~~~~

Marinette is eighteen when she knows that she's going to be alright.

There will always be people who dislike her, who make fun of her for pointless reasons, who try to hurt her because they can't stand her.

But it's okay, she thinks, because she's not alone anymore. She has friends that care for her, a family that appreciates her everyday, and a responsibility she _loves_ taking care of.

There will always be haters, she resolves, but that's okay. Because she knows who she is.

And they can't take that away from her.


End file.
